Ottawa’s Rideau waterway is a hallowed holiday playground for Canadians but with the recent arrival of European operator Le Boat, its canals and vast lakes offer a new frontier for British families seeking an adventurous holiday afloat

The shiniest black shuttle glided into the station, gold livery gleaming. It looked as if it should come with a caped bellhop and a rack for hat boxes. “It’s a bling train!” said Ella, barely containing her delight.

National Geographic Traveller: Life on Canada’s Arctic frontier, the Yukon, is deeply entwined with its timeless landscape of glaciers, mighty rivers and dominating mountains. Once the target of a gold-rush stampede, this little-known region of myth and legend will inspire and mesmerise.